What are giclée prints?

Everything you need to know about fine art prints

At Art Basket, many of our Artists offer limited edition ‘giclée prints’ of their artwork. You may be wondering what a giclée print is, or how it’s different to a regular print.

‘Resonate’ Limited Edition Giclée Print by Robbie Chapman

What is giclée printing?

Don’t worry if you’ve never heard of this term. Giclée printing is a relatively new process, developed in 1991 by printmaker Jack Duganne. Derived from the French word ‘gicler’ (to spray or squirt), giclée printing involves squirting microscopic dots of pigment-based ink onto high-quality, textured paper or canvas, creating a print that replicates the original piece of artwork in both colour and quality.

Why invest in a giclée print?

Giclée prints hold their colour and value for much longer than regular prints. In fact, they are known to last approximately 200 years before they start to fade! They are museum-quality prints that are build to last.

Because of their quality, giclée prints are usually more expensive than regular digital prints. Once signed, labelled or numbered however, giclée prints can increase in value over time, as Artists gain more recognition. Because of their longevity, they are also a cheaper alternative to buying an original piece of artwork.

What are limited edition prints?

Sheep Giclée Print by Sean Briggs

Artists have the option of making their prints ‘limited edition’. in other words, they will only produce a certain amount of prints and once these have all sold, they will not produce any more. This generally means that limited edition prints are more valuable in the eye of an art collector, and therefore more expensive than open edition prints.

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